Any new owner will want to ensure the essentials are in place before bringing a new hamster home. The correct food, toys and exercise features are all part and parcel of creating the perfect nest for your small furry friend to settle into.
Most important of all is buying a suitable cage to provide your hamster with comfortable and spacious digs. Hamsters are highly active animals who love to spend their days and nights exploring, climbing and burrowing, so they need plenty of space to roam and map their new home as they please.
What to look for in a hamster cage
- Space: a large floor area with plenty of space for exploring and padding out with toys will provide your pet with lots to do. The RSPCA recommends that hamsters have a minimum of 3-5cm of burrowing space on a solid floor and ample unbroken floor space. Better yet, treat your furry friend to eight inches. According to Blue Cross: "The ideal home for a hamster is housing no smaller than 100cm x 50cm floor space, by 50cm tall." We say: the bigger the better as hamsters love the freedom to explore and roam.
- Depth: a deep base is essential for filling with bedding, nesting boxes and shelters for your hamster to burrow and snooze in.
- Solid construction: hamster owners will be well aware that the critters are master escape artists. To avoid any jailbreaks, the cage in question must be sturdy, secure and heavy.
- Tank or cage: hamster cages come in two styles, tanks and metal cages. Transparent aquarium-style tanks are typically wooden or plastic and can be filled up with bountiful layers of bedding for prime burrowing or tunnel-making. They tend to be more secure than wire cages but don’t allow as much ventilation.
Where to put your hamster cage
The placement of your hamster cage is crucial. Be sure to place the cage in a quiet spot away from noise (such as the TV or laundry machines) as vibrations may stress hamsters. This space needs to be dry and clean with no draughts or dampness.
Hamsters also need to be kept in a room with predictable light as they are sensitive to brightness. They should be housed away from ultrasound such as computer screens as the animals can detect high-frequency sounds that humans can’t hear.
What to put in your hamster cage
Here's the fun part. Customise your hamster’s home with toys, nests, shelters and tubes. Other key features include a plastic exercise wheel, gnawing blocks, appropriate bedding, a leak-proof water bottle and feeding bowls.
How often to clean a hamster cage
Your hamster’s home should be cleaned thoroughly weekly according to Forever Vets - but if you find that it is causing your hamster distress, adapt accordingly. It is advised, however, that you spot-clean the cage daily to keep your hamster happy and healthy in their home. This includes changing any soiled bedding and giving the water bottle and food bowls a wipe and refill with fresh food and drink. Clean accessories regularly too.
It’s best to clean the cage when your hamster is awake at night so as not to disturb them. The easiest way to do this is to pop them in a hamster ball for a quick run-around while you carry our hamster housekeeping duties.
Without further ado, read on to browse the best cages to house your hamster below.
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Niteangel Vista Hamster Cage Large
- Dimensions: 119 x 57 x 68cm
- Adheres to Blue Cross sizing standards?: Yes
Nietangel’s hamster cage is an easy-assemble abode for active hamsters. It’s constructed from thick wooden boards which slot accurately into place. Fill the large space with fun features for your hamster to explore. Build a playground, den or mini village to keep your furry friend occupied for hours.
Buy now £338.95, Amazon
PawHut Small Wooden Hamster, Mouse or Rat Cage/Play House
- Dimensions: 115 x 60 x 58cm
- Adheres to Blue Cross sizing standards?: Yes
Opt for a customisable item with PawHut's spacious pen. Suitable for Syrian hamsters and dwarf hamsters, the extra large cage features three large viewing windows and a wide scale to suit larger home spaces so all the kids can gather around.
Buy now £89.99, Robert Dyas
Savic Plaza 100 Rat and Syrian Hamster Cage
Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 50cm
Adheres to Blue Cross sizing standards?: Yes
Provide your furry friend with ample living space to enjoy as they please. This Savic hamster cage offers an uber-roomy environment with plenty of space and is Blue Cross-recommended. It can also be used to house rats and Syrian hamsters with accessories included in the purchase. If you're planning to take your pet on holiday, the cage collapses for easy transportation.
Buy now £80.00, Pets At Home
BUCATSTATE Hamster Cage
Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 52.5cm
Adheres to Blue Cross sizing standards?: Yes
Give your new arrival a taste of the high life with a luxury housing unit. This hamster cage can be furnished with all sorts of treats, from bedding to toys and more. It boasts a large space perfect for any small rodent, plus has four viewing windows to allow you to see your pets frolicking around in an environment designed to stimulate and enrich. The stackable design means you can add more hamster friends without taking up extra surface space.
Buy now £152.99, Amazon
MEWOOFUN Wooden Hamster Cage
- Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 50cm
- Adheres to Blue Cross sizing standards?: Yes
Treat your pet to an expansive wooden hamster cage with unbroken floor space and an excellent level of ventilation. The wood and acrylic design features three big windows to help you keep an eye on your pet and watch them at play. This pen comes without accessories, giving you a blank canvas to decorate as you wish: think ample bedding for burrowing, a non-wire wheel for stimulation and plenty of rodent-safe wooden pieces to gnaw on.
Buy now £128.97, Amazon
